The 10 SXSW '12 Films With the Most to Prove

21 Jump Street

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs), this adaptation of the ’80s TV series has to justify its existence to skeptics — but strong early buzz and the chemistry between stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum promise hilarious hijinks from the upcoming Columbia Pictures release.

Cabin in the Woods

The Joss Whedon-produced, Drew Goddard-directed horror pic sat on the shelf for three years thanks to MGM’s bankruptcy but is finally heading to theaters — and advance word, though secretive, says this could be the best new horror film to come along in a while. We’ll see once Cabin in the Woods gets its official world premiere at SXSW.

Casa de mi Padre

Will Ferrell stars (and speaks entirely in Spanish) alongside Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal in this telenovela satire, about a bumbling Mexican rancher’s son (Ferrell) forced into action against a drug lord. A risky blend of straight-faced comedy and fully-embraced cliches could make for another classic Ferrell-Adam McKay vehicle… if audiences go along for the ride.

Fat Kid Rules the World

Matthew Lillard makes his directorial debut with this tale of an overweight teen (Terri’s Jacob Wysocki) who befriends a punk rock musician. We’ll see if his recent work with the likes of Alexander Payne (The Descendants) rubbed off on the erstwhile Scooby-Doo actor.

The Babymakers

Broken Lizard’s Jay Chandrasekhar directs Olivia Munn, Paul Schneider, Aisha Tyler and more in this comedy about a man who robs a sperm bank in order to conceive with his wife — the first Broken Lizard film since 2009’s barely-seen Slammin’ Salmon.

Girls

Technically, Lena Dunham’s Girls isn’t a film, but SXSW’s preview of episodes from the forthcoming HBO series falls in line with the feature film (Tiny Furniture) that earned Dunham her big break at the fest only a few years ago. This time she returns with a droll take on New York twentysomething life, a companion piece to Tiny Furniture, produced by Judd Apatow, that demonstrates the developing maturity of her work.

Small Apartments

Jonas Akerlund made a splash with his 2002 feature debut Spun, but his sophomore film, the horror film Horsemen, qualified as a slump. After a notable stint in music videos for the likes of Lady Gaga (“Telephone”), Akerlund is back with a quirky comedy about a man (Bridesmaids‘ Matt Lucas) who accidentally kills his landlord; Billy Crystal, Juno Temple, James Caan, Dolph Lundgren, and Peter Stormare round out the cast.

The Tall Man

Pascal Laugier made waves with his French horror Martyrs, so what will he do in his English debut with Jessica Biel as his lead? Biel stars as a mother searching for her missing kid investigating a mythical child-snatcher, a rare solo star turn for the actress.

Marley

Director Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play, Life in a Day) turns again to nonfiction film with an in-depth look at the life and legacy of Bob Marley. After debuting at the Berlin Film Festival, can Marley capture audiences stateside and build buzz ahead of its April release (on, ahem, 4/20)?

Bernie

Local fave Richard Linklater debuted his black comedy, based on the true story of a charismatic Texas undertaker who killed his elderly companion, last year at the Los Angeles Film Festival to modest critical support. But with an April limited release looming, the Jack Black-Shirley Maclaine starrer is in dire need of a profile raiser. Can the hometown crowd help make Bernie a must-see?

Read more of Movieline’s SXSW 2012.